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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
• "Is that email a scam?" - Check it online here!
  
• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
  (+225 +229 +234 +27 +31 +32 +34 +44 other)
• Company names mentioned in 419 spam:
  1 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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Victims never receive this non-existent fortune but are tricked into sending their money to the criminals, who remain anonymous. They hide their real identity and location by using fake names and fake postal addresses as well as communicating via anonymous free email accounts and mobile phones.

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "million dollars" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
  • "hundred thousand us dollars" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
• This email message is a fake lottery scam. Consider the following facts about real lotteries:
  
  1. They don't notify winners by email.
  2. You can't win without first buying a lottery ticket.
  3. They don't randomly select email addresses to award prizes to.
  4. They don't use free email accounts (Yahoo, Hotmail, etc) to communicate with you.
  5. They don't tell you to call a mobile phone number.
  6. They don't tell you to keep your winnings secret.
  7. They will never ask a winner to pay any fees to receive a prize!
• This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
  • petersberts@gmail.com

Fraud email example:

From: "andersoned_10" <andersoned_10@terra.com.co>
Date: Mon, 16 Jun 2008 12:48:13 -0300
Subject: CONGRATULATION



SHELL PETROLEUM LOTTERY WINNING NOTIFICATION
IN COLLARBORATION
WITH SHELL PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT COMPANY
{SPDC}AND BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO COMPANY.
9 Palmerston Crescent
South Melbourne, Victoria 3205
Australia/UK
Ref: 575062725
Batch: 8056491902
Winning no: KB8701

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Dear Winner,


Winner in the 2nd category of our Shell Management free Net Lottery Promotional award draws held December 2006.I am writing in respect to your lotto winning prize of $1.5 Million Dollars(One million five hundred thousand US Dollars only) which you won through the email ballot draws in our Shell Management Lotto Award in 2006 in the second category prize winnings category.

We wish to inform you that your total prize money of $1.5 Million Dollars has been returned to us by our Lotto claims delivery company as unclaimed prize after their initial letter to your address for your payment was not successful.

You are here by requested to contact our Treasury Officer on his email address below for your immediate payment.:

Treasury officer's name: Peterson Roberts
Email: Petersberts@gmail.com

So refer this to him and contact him immediately for your unclaimed lotto prize payment to you.You should contact our Treasury Officer as directed above for your payment, and do notify me as soon as you received your payment from our Treasurer.

Please note: You have to reconfirm your full details to him such as:
1.Name in full:
2.Address:
3.Nationality:
4.Age:
5.Occupation:
6.Phone/Fax:
7.Present Country:

Thanks,
Anderson Edward
President; Int'l Lotto Org.

ANY BREACH OF CONFIDENTIALITY ON THE PART OF THE WINNERS WILL RESULT TO DISQUALIFICATION.WINNING RESULT MUST BE KEPT SECRET TO AVOID DOUBLE CLAIM WHICH WILL RESULT TO YOUR LOST OF PACKAGE.

__________________________________________________

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam